1.50pm Liberty Love all the rage at Kempton

Will Hayler: Twitter has alerted me to another interesting market move involving our new friend John Butler, the Newmarket trainer who is training out of Barney Curley's old yard, at Kempton on Thursday evening.

While the Butler-trained The Catenian is easy in the betting ahead of the 6.10, it is the Shaun Harley-trained Liberty Love who has been well supported from 8-1 down to 3-1 on Betfair.

Coincidentally, Harley has trained horses for Butler's former boss Curley in the past and is also related to Paul Harley, racing manager to Curley's old friend the Baron Georg von Ullman. Shaun Harley's brother, last season's champion British apprentice Martin Harley, takes the ride.

The main market movers for the Cheltenham Festival are Vendor (talked up by Alan King at his media day) and Ulck Du Lin (plenty of mentions after the publication of the weights on Wednesday) in the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle.

Also well fancied is Divers, 9-1 from 12-1 with Paddy Power for the Byrne Group Plate after the booking of Tony McCoy was confirmed on Thursday morning.

11.40am Buick has jaw broken in Dubai nightclub attack

Will Hayler: William Buick will miss the start of the British Flat season after sustaining a broken jaw in a nightclub attack in Dubai.

Buick, who described the incident as "completely unprovoked", was attending a party thrown by Frankie Dettori to mark the retirement of Richard Hills. His booked rides at Meydan on Thursday are to be taken by other riders.

The jockey is now returning to Britain to see a specialist.

His father, Walter Buick, said on Thursday morning: "It was a totally unprovoked attack and William was just unfortunate. It seems like he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"The lads had got together for a bit of a send-off for Richard Hills. He'll probably be back riding next Friday, that's what he told me when I spoke to him last night. He was just minding his own business, but there you go.

"He said he was in a fair bit of pain so he's coming home to get it looked at."

Thursday's best bets, by Will Hayler

For those not aware of the racing past of ex-Monkee Davy Jones, who died on Wednesday, can I recommend an excellent article by Simon Milham which you can read here.

I was at Lingfield in 1996 when Digpast gave him his dreamed-for winner, although my memory had played tricks on me and I was convinced the horse was trained by Charles Cyzer rather than Roland O'Sullivan. Even though compared to fellow amateurs, his riding style left a little to be desired, Jones' enthusiasm was amazing.

Rackham Lerouge is one of the most interesting horses in action in Britain on Thursday, having appeared to entirely lose the plot on his three starts this season. This brother to Punchestowns is clearly thrown in on form such as third Medermit and Tullamore Dew two seasons ago, but is just as likely to throw in the towel after a couple of fences as he is to win in the Forbra Gold Cup at Ludlow.

Evan Williams has targeted a few of these nice Ludlow races before and I thought Drumbaloo (4.00) took the eye on his chasing debut. He gets in here off his hurdling mark and has the appearance and pedigree to prove smarter over fences.

Twenty-two years on from the shock Gold Cup success of 100-1 chance Norton's Coin, Sirrell Griffiths will not be having any runners at this year's Cheltenham Festival.

But the sheep farmer from Carmathen still keeps a handful of horses in training and U B Carefull (3.00) has a good-looking opportunity to break his duck over fences earlier on the Ludlow card. All he needs to do is eliminate the sloppy jumping which has so far hindered his progress as a steeplechaser.

Soleil D'Avril (4.10) took a notable step forwards in the right direction when second at Doncaster last time out and looks realistically treated in handicaps at present. He is a narrow choice in an open-looking handicap at Taunton.

From the same stable, Bygones In Brid (2.40) has been disappointing so far over hurdles but this looks by far his easiest assignment and connections reckoned he might be a live outsider in the last year's Champion Bumper, so he ought not to lack for speed.

Bobbyow (5.40) has had 15 chances to win a race and failed to take any of them, but he has been found a really poor contest at Kempton this evening and I'm prepared to give him another chance.

His form since joining his present yard has clearly improved and he has been seriously unlucky to bump into a couple of John Butler-trained 'plot horses' in his last two starts. The handicapper has played fair in keeping his rating unchanged and Bobbyow must have a great chance of taking advantage.

Cheltenham Festival stat of the day, by Paul Jones

As stated earlier this week, as many as 17 horses to start at 2-1 or under at the last three Cheltenham Festivals have been beaten. The sphere over the last 30-odd years in which shorties have the worst record at the Festival is unquestionably the novice chases which should be of interest to those that want to take on Sprinter Sacre in the Arkle and Grands Crus if he runs in the RSA Chase. In fact, as many as 25 horses have been sent off at 2-1 or shorter for the Festival novice chases since 1980 of which only five have won; Bobsline and Azertyuiop in the Arkle and Antarctic Bay, Florida Pearl and Denman in the RSA Chase.

Tipping competition, day four

Factormax edged to the front with Upham Atom (4-1) but others made even more dramatic moves. Fatdeano and millreef paired Upham Atom with Golden Call (14-1), while five others had Golden Call by himself.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not entered so far this week, you are welcome to do so today but you will start on -9.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.